


Canyons

by tatooedlaura



Series: Life [34]
Category: The X-Files
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-15 06:54:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9223955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatooedlaura/pseuds/tatooedlaura
Summary: Big holes in the Earth are fun ...





	

“That is one big hole.”

“That is one very big hole, indeed.”

“I had no idea it was that big of a hole.”

“It’s a hole that can be seen from space, Mulder.”

“Then it’s an even bigger hole than I realized.”

By now, she was shaking her head, the smile she wore belaying her embarrassment at how many times they’d just said ‘hole’ in their conversation and how loudly Mulder was saying it, taking glee each time it rolled off his tongue, tossing his occasional 13-year-old boy mentality out there for the world to hear.

His crutches were comfortably settled under his arms, his leg held up from the ground, cast dirty on the bottom from sand and mud splashes. He was wearing his red Lucky Charms t-shirt and his green sunglasses, his face tan, his mouth relaxed.

Given there was a really good chance that nobody they knew was within a 50-mile radius, let alone close enough to see her next action, she encroached his personal space and kissed his cheek, “thanks for being stubborn about continuing vacation. A lot of people would have demanded to go home but you decided to go with a climb down the Grand Canyon and my opinion be damned.”

“Occasionally, one needs to do things like this. Build some character and really big bruises in their armpits.” Leaning over, he returned her kiss to her forehead, “one of these day, though, I’m going to go off the deep end and probably make out with you in public. Just warning you now.”

This, is all honesty, did not shock her as much as it should have.

“You may receive a left hook to the chin. Just warning you.”

With a grin that put the sun to shame, “ready to go climb down a canyon?”

&&&&&&&&

So, for shits and giggles, the pair went to see just how long a hike down would take. After the ranger got a look at Mulder’s cast, he laughed. Seriously laughed. Belly-jiggling ‘you be damned crazy’ laughing to the nth degree of amusement.

“Son, just stay at the top and take pictures. If you really want to, you can let your wife go down there and have her take the pictures and you can pretend you went with her but if you tried to do it with those,” indicating the crutches with his gnarled, wind-burned hands, “you’d fall off the trail in about 45 seconds, give or take.”

Mulder gave him his best confused stare, “so you mean, I can’t even try?”

“You try, you die, son.”

“But my mother always said ‘if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again’.”

Scully cracked much quicker than she normally would have and snorted, vainly attempting to hide it behind a cough but failing, the ranger looking from her to Mulder, trying to decide if he should get pissed at them for wasting his time or join the joke.

Given he was a fairly happy guy, he relaxed, “damn tourists are going to drive me insane.”

“Ignore him. He enjoys messing with people sometimes.”

Mulder held out his hand, “sorry. Bad sense of humor at times. Fox Mulder and this is Dana Scully.”

He shook both their hands, “how’d you break the leg?”

Twenty minutes later, they parted ways, “I liked him.”

“I did, too. I’ve forgotten that not everyone in the world is either a murderer, a liar, a cheat or a complete asshole.”

Agreeing with a nod, she tapped his hand through his crutches, “let’s go look at the big hole some more.”

&&&&&&&&&&&

Mulder, as per instructions from Maggie, who had lent him her pocket camera, had been burning through film right and left, taking pictures of their entire trip, posed shots regular but candids abounding, and today was no exception. Digging into the side pocket of the backpack he now carried with him, he pulled the camera out, then boldly asked an older couple if they’d mind taking a picture of the pair of them.

Scully was used to the camera at this point, but this would be the first picture of the two of them together, not counting the badly angled ones she imagined they’d taken with Mulder turning the camera around and hoping he at least got their heads in the shot. This picture had them standing as an actual, honest-to-God, dyed in wool couple and she couldn’t think of what in the hell to do with her hands.

Awkward feelings bubbled up involving prom dates and first dates and blind dates and she still had no idea where to put her hands.

This wasn’t, however, some 16-year-old nightmare reborn but Mulder and all he had to say was, “get your ass closer, would you? I’m not going to bite unless you want me to.”

Of course, this demand was whispered and of course, it set her to giggling, then laughing, while the couple, amused as well, snapped a good six pictures before they surrendered the camera back to Mulder, the man commenting, “son, those will need to hang on the living room wall.”

“Oh, they will. Believe me.”

Once alone again and Scully could take in a deep breath without paroxysms of laughter taking over, “we don’t have a living room wall.”

“Never say never, Scully. Haven’t you learned that by now?”

And the world got serious.

Instantly and intensely.

Only she didn’t let Mulder know that as she leaned back on the wall lining the top edge of the canyon, “so, need some food yet?”

Mulder’s world got serious as well.

Instantly and intensely.

Only he didn’t let her know that as he fingered the edge of the camera still in his hand, “stay still for a minute, would you?”

“What?”

“Just. Stay there.” There was something about the sun setting the canyon on fire and her hair joining in, the colors deep and vibrant against the azure blue sky. He mentally crossed his fingers that the film would catch at least 1/10th of her stunning beauty, the canyon backdrop only a bonus at this point. When he was finally satisfied he’d gotten his shot, he swung forward to her, inches from her face, where he planted a firm, closed mouth kiss on her lips, “that’s another one for the living room.” Then he backed up, maneuvering in the direction of a hot dog vendor, “come on. I’m hungry.”

She wasn’t sure whether she should have kissed him back or killed him so she followed, ordering a hot dog with extra relish and a pickle on the side.


End file.
